Marvell School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Marvell, Arkansas - 2 schools

An equity score of 83/100 ranks Marvell School District #7 of 250 districts in Arkansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $18,549 per pupil, Marvell School District ranks #6 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending (Arkansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

331
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$18,549
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Marvell School District operates 2 public schools serving 331 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Phillips County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,549 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 26 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending. See how Arkansas compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 32.4% local, 25.5% state, and 42.1% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 83/100, ranked #7 of 250 in Arkansas against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), a 220:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 61.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 94.8% African American, 4.2% White, 1.0% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Marvell Primary School, enrolling 121 students (55% of the district's total enrollment).

Marvell Primary School accounts for 36.6% of all Marvell School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Marvell School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Marvell School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 100.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Marvell School District student-counselor ratio is 220:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Marvell School District chronic absenteeism rate is 61.3% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

42.1%
Federal
25.5%
State
32.4%
Local

Funding Equity

83
Equity Score
7 / 250
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 2 schools in Marvell School District.

White 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino 1.0%
African American 94.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 2
Schools with AP
3 AP courses total
220:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
61.3%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Marvell School District

School Enrollment
Marvell Primary School
121
Marvell High School
99

How Marvell School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Arkansas districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Dermott School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Western Yell Co. School Dist. Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Shirley School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Strong-Huttig School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Guy-Perkins School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Marvell School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Arkansas

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Springdale School District
22,745 students · 29 schools · $11,376/pupil
Compare vs Marvell School District →
Little Rock School District
21,456 students · 40 schools · $14,597/pupil
Compare vs Marvell School District →
Bentonville School District
18,674 students · 24 schools · $11,698/pupil
Compare vs Marvell School District →
Rogers School District
15,964 students · 23 schools · $10,977/pupil
Compare vs Marvell School District →
Fort Smith School District
14,291 students · 27 schools · $12,206/pupil
Compare vs Marvell School District →

Compare Marvell School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Springdale School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Marvell School District?

Marvell School District has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 331 students.

How much does Marvell School District spend per student?

Marvell School District spends $18,549 per student. The district has an equity score of 83/100, ranking #7 in Arkansas.

What is the demographic composition of Marvell School District?

Marvell School District students are 94.8% African American, 4.2% White, 1.0% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Marvell School District?

Marvell School District has an equity score of 83/100, ranking #7 out of 250 districts in Arkansas.